tasmān nārhā vayaṁ hantuṁ dhārtarāṣhṭrān sa-bāndhavān
sva-janaṁ hi kathaṁ hatvā sukhinaḥ syāma mādhava
tasmāt — hence;
na — never;
arhāḥ — behoove;
vayam — we;
hantum — to kill;
dhārtarāṣhṭrān — the sons of Dhritarashtra;
sva-bāndhavān — along with friends;
sva-janam — kinsmen;
hi — certainly;
katham — how;
hatvā — by killing;
sukhinaḥ — happy;
syāma — will we become;
mādhava — Shree Krishna, the husband of Yogmaya
In this verse, Arjuna is having a very emotional moment. He is talking to Krishna, whom he calls Madhava, and expressing his deep concern about fighting in the battle. His main point is that they should not kill the sons of Dhritarashtra, who are not just enemies but also family members. Arjuna is feeling very troubled about the idea of killing his own relatives. He simply cannot imagine how they could find happiness after such a terrible act.
The idea of family is extremely important to Arjuna. He is thinking about how killing his relatives will only bring sadness, not joy or victory. He feels a strong emotional pull towards his family, and this is making him question whether fighting in this battle is really the right thing to do.
Usually, as a warrior (called a ksatriya), Arjuna has a duty to fight when called to battle. This is a traditional expectation for warriors in his culture. However, he is now questioning this duty. He knows that if he fights, he will have to kill family members and loved ones, which will cause a lot of pain. He feels that even if they win the battle, the victory will feel hollow because it will come at such a high cost: the loss of his family.
Arjuna is torn between what he is supposed to do (his duty as a warrior) and what he feels is right morally. His heart is heavy because he knows that killing his family members will lead only to sorrow. He is expressing a deep compassion for his relatives and is feeling an inner conflict. This conflict shows the struggle between dharma (or duty) and personal emotions.
While Arjuna has the role of a warrior to protect his kingdom and fulfill his responsibilities, his heart cannot accept the idea of killing his own kin just for material gain or victory in battle. He feels that true happiness cannot come from harming those he loves. This shows a very human side of Arjuna, where he values his family relationships over the demands of war.